Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, and published in 1597, is one of the most popular literary works and plays known to exist. The story of two “star-cross’d lovers” details the difficulties and tragic events between a young thirteen year old girl named Juliet, and her love interest Romeo, resulting in a captivating love story (Shakespeare 01). Juliet, a Capulet, and Romeo, a Montague, continue to see each other throughout the play despite being from rival families. In the end, it is the deaths of the two lovers that ultimately bring the rivals together. Throughout history, love stories have become popular in novels, plays, songs, and movies. To some, Romeo and Juliet may be considered a weak example of a love story, but to others …show more content…
However, a fight between Romeo and Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, leaves Tybalt dead and Romeo banished from Verona. However, Romeo still visits Juliet late at night and the two must say their goodbyes before the sun rises. Romeo, once again, risked his life to visit Juliet. This shows his love for her and the risks he is willing to take for love. In modern day love stories, the characters often risk being in trouble, or in extreme cases, their lives, to be together. After Romeo leaves, Juliet discovers she is to be married to County Paris. She is distraught and seeks to find Friar Laurence to help her. Friar Laurence supplies Juliet with a sleeping potion in order to make her appear dead. Before Juliet takes the potion, she speaks with herself concerningly. She worries that it may not work, that it may kill her, or that she may never wake up. “Shall I not then be stifled in the vault, to whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, and there die strangled ere my Romeo comes? Or, if I live, is it not very like the horrible conceit of death and night, together with the terror of the place, as in a vault, an ancient receptacle,” she asks (Shakespeare 73). However, she decides to risk her life to be with Romeo and takes the potion anyway. The potion works and Juliet is taken to her family’s tomb the next day. Juliet begins the play as a young girl, but throughout the Acts develops into a